


Hey Siri, How Does I Do The Flirt?

by ColorsofaYinYang



Series: Garreg Mach University [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Communication, Dimitri Is Awkward, First Dates, Flirting, Fluff, Golden Deer Squad, Healthy Relationships, M/M, No Spoilers, Party Games, Roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-23 18:23:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20344636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ColorsofaYinYang/pseuds/ColorsofaYinYang
Summary: "Um." Dimitri pulls a small bouquet from behind his back and presents it to Claude, who takes it with a bit of surprise. "I hope you're not allergic."“I love it,” Claude tells him. “And people call me the charmer.”





	Hey Siri, How Does I Do The Flirt?

**Author's Note:**

> I am going to make Dimitri Is Awkward a real tag. It's going to happen.
> 
> This picks up right after part 1 in this series, if you need a bit of context.

One of the few perks of being a morning person is that unlike other college students, Claude doesn’t have to rely on a hot cup of coffee to start his day. Despite this, whenever the urge does strike, he knows exactly where to go.

  
He had been introduced to the Black Eagle Café, or Beagles as it’s known around campus, by one of his dorm mates who worked at the place. Ignatz, an aspiring art major, had apparently showcased his latte art skills to the owner, and next thing he knew he had a job. At first Claude had been skeptical; he’s not a coffee snob by any means, but he avoids big corporations and bougie name-brand products like the plague. But after doing a little research, he immediately became enamored with the place.

  
Edelgard von Hresvelg, the owner, is a business major attempting to get a head start in the field. He rarely sees her actually in the café but he shares an English lecture with her every Tuesday and Thursday. She always seems so composed, almost regal, but he’s talked to her and she seems like a decently nice person. At least when she’s not nagging him to finish his essays.

  
The café’s atmosphere reflects her personality, the walls decked out in a royal red with elegant black accents and faux marble pillars situated in the corners. It seems a bit much for a simple coffee shop, but what tips it over from fancy to homely are the people. The customers seem to be almost insanely loyal. Claude’s run into Hilda and Raphael there, and Lorenz frequents the joint from time to time (only for the tea, according to him). There’s also a green haired boy that sleeps at the back corner table (Claude’s still not sure if he comes for the coffee or for the blue haired boy who always pops out of the back to shake him awake). He’s even heard rumors that some of the professors come to get a burst of energy on their lunch breaks.

  
But it’s not just the customers. Every day he sees a curly brown-haired boy meticulously sweeping the floors with a broom as he passes on his way to his afternoon lab. Edelgard’s girlfriend apparently drops by to lighten the workload during rush hours, despite not getting paid. Even Ignatz admits that his job satisfaction is the highest it’s ever been. So it doesn’t take a genius to come to the conclusion that Beagles is a pretty special place.

  
However, that doesn’t change the fact that he doesn’t rely on coffee for survival. So for most of the first quarter, he only visits the café occasionally.

  
The selling point comes when he meets Edelgard’s new hire: one blonde, sweet and awkward boy by the name of Dimitri.

~

“I’m back!” Claude announces dramatically as he opens the door to the apartment. His roommates are sprawled out across the living room: Raphael fast asleep and snoring with Leonie’s head in his lap, her legs dangling over the couch’s armrest, Lysithea sitting criss-cross on the ground raptly watching TV, Lorenz with a cup of tea at the table scrolling through his phone, and Marianne curled up in the corner armrest studying.

  
“Where’s Hilda?” Marianne asks quietly, tucking her pencil behind her ear. Claude shrugs his jacket off and slings it over the back of the couch.

  
“Said she had a makeup class she forgot about, probably be back soon.” He nudges Raphael over and flops down beside him. “You guys will never guess who I met today.”

  
“My dad?” Raphael guesses sleepily, earning a few snickers from the rest of the room. Lorenz snorts.

  
“That look in his eyes better not be for Raphael’s father.” Claude throws a couch cushion half-heartedly at him. It plops onto the ground a good foot away from its target.

  
“Ooh, maybe he met a giii~rl,” Lysithea taunts. Leonie shakes her head.

  
“I bet it was a cat. You know how Claude loves to pet all those stray animals around campus.” She sits up, stretching her arms, and heads toward the kitchen. “I’m making mac n’ cheese, anybody else want?” A bunch of me’s follow her.

  
“You’re all wrong,” Claude gives a Cheshire grin. “I-“ Just then the door bursts open, and Hilda rushes in.

  
“HIS NAME IS DIMITRI AND CLAUDE’S GOING TO ASK HIM ON A DATE!”

  
Ignatz trails in behind her. “I tried to stop her,” he says sheepishly. The whole room turns to look at Claude, who grins.

  
“There’s no way _Claude_ got a date,” Lysithea says flatly. Claude chucks the second cushion at her, and she shoots him the stink eye. Ignatz comes over and pats him on the shoulder consolingly.

  
There’s the sound of pots clattering, then Leonie calls from the kitchen, “What’s he like?” All eyes turn to him in curiosity.

  
Claude gives a long, exaggeratedly dreamy sigh. “Blonde hair, blue eyes, a perfect princely face. He’s SO awkward. And he’s adorable.” Lorenz chokes on his tea.

  
“I’m sorry, what was that last one?”

  
“He’s adorable?”

  
“No, before that.”

  
“He looks like a prince?”

  
“No-“

  
Hilda giggles. “Only Claude would find social awkwardness attractive.” She bounds over, pigtails bouncing. “So where are you going to take him for your first date?”

  
Claude holds up a hand. “Hold up, there’s no guarantee he’s going to say yes to a date.” From his seat next to Lorenz, Ignatz pops his head up.

  
“Actually, you have a pretty good chance. Dimitri was out of it the entire time we were closing up the café.”

  
A sense of satisfaction blooms in his chest at hearing how much he’s affected the other boy. “Well, if he calls, I was thinking something casual. He seems pretty easily overwhelmed, so I’ll probably let him choose.”

  
“You should bring him over,” Lysithea chimes in. “I want to see what kind of person can put up with Claude’s terrible flirting.”

  
“Hey, I don’t want any more sass from you, young lady!” Lysithea throws the cushion back at him, but he catches it easily. “But, that‘s actually not a bad idea… everyone all right with me bringing him over?” A chorus of agreement is the response. Claude glances over to the corner. “Marianne?”

  
“Oh, um, I’m okay! He seems… nice.” He gives her a grateful smile.

  
“Alright, then it’s settled. We’ve just gotta wait for the call.” There’s a moment of silence, then Leonie shouts from the kitchen:

  
“Food’s done! You snooze, you lose!”

~

After the free-for-all that is fighting for dinner, Claude stays up as late as he can waiting for the call (he doesn’t have any morning classes the next day so it’s fine, he thinks). At around 11:30 he gives up, slightly disappointed, and goes to bed. Dimitri might need more time to think about it, and that’s fine. He respects that. And if he doesn’t want to go out, he respects that too.

  
This assumption that Dimitri’s not going to call is precisely why he answers the 3:14 AM unknown caller with a slurred, “’Lo?” instead of one of the smooth pick-up lines he had been rehearsing hours before.

  
“Claude?” He immediately recognizes the voice and shakes himself awake, flicking on the bedside lamp.

  
“Dimitri? Something wrong? Why aren’t you sleeping?”

  
“Oh.” Dimitri sounds like he’s just realized what time it is. “I… apologize, for waking you. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  
“Hey, no, no, it’s fine, I’m just happy to hear from you again.” Claude smiles a little. “Seriously, what’s up? Trouble sleeping?”

  
There’s a pause, then Dimitri admits softly, “I just couldn’t stop thinking of you.” Claude’s heart melts right then and there at the hesitant confession. “I of course understand if you don’t feel the same, I did make an utter fool of myself earlier…”

  
“I think it’s safe to say I’m pretty much obsessed with you,” he reassures with a chuckle. “If you’d like, how about a date this weekend? You can come over to my apartment, I share with a bunch of people but they’re all pretty chill. You know Ignatz, right?” At Dimitri’s answering hum he continues, “It’ll be super casual, no pressure. We’ll just get something delivered and hang out.” He pauses. “Sound agreeable?”

  
“Um…” _Whoops._ Claude winces as he hears the underlying note of panic in the other’s voice. _Pushed too hard._ “Yes, sounds… agreeable, but could you perhaps text the details to me?”

  
“Of course. And hey, if you don’t want something, just tell me, alright? I don’t want to force anything on you, especially not a first date.”

  
There’s a laugh from the other end of the line, short but gorgeous, and Claude finds himself wanting to hear it again. “Thank you for the concern, but I really do want this. It’s not you so much as my own lack of experience that is making me nervous.”

  
“I promise you, no matter what you do, I’ll still find it attractive. I mean, you’re calling me at 3:30 in the morning and I’m still blushing.”

  
“Oh, it is pretty late, isn’t it. I apologize, I’ll let you get back to sleep.” A pause. “I’ll see you this weekend, then?”

  
Claude sighs a little, utterly charmed. “Yes. I’m looking forward to it. You get some rest now, alright?”

  
“I’ll try my best… goodnight, Claude.”

  
“Goodnight, Dimitri.” As soon as the line goes dead, Claude has to restrain himself from rolling all over the bed in giddiness. He turns the lights off again, but before he does anything else he opens his contacts list and adds Dimitri’s number as **Dimitri <3**.

  
He falls asleep planning out all the different ways their date could go.

~

The doorbell rings at exactly 5:30 PM that Saturday night, and the whole apartment trips over themselves in order to peek around the corner as Claude goes to open the door.

  
Dimitri’s shuffling nervously in place, dressed in a royal blue button-up and black pants, looking positively _edible_. Claude feels underdressed, and it’s _his_ apartment.

  
“Glad you could make it,” Claude says, ignoring the frantic whispers coming from behind him.

  
“Um.” Dimitri pulls a small bouquet from behind his back and presents it to Claude, who takes it with a bit of surprise. White daisies, blue irises, and a single rose in the center. “My friend helped me pick this out,” he says. “I hope you’re not allergic.”

  
“I love it,” Claude tells him with a smile. “And people call me the charmer.” He holds the door open with his foot and wraps an arm around Dimitri’s shoulders, coaxing him inside.

  
His roommates have fled to the living room, playing Smash and acting all nonchalant. “Hey guys, this is Dimitri if you haven’t already guessed.”

  
“Hey,” Ignatz waves. The others who aren’t playing greet him as well.

  
“You already know Ignatz and Hilda,” Claude starts, pointing to each individual. “The pretentious one over there is Lorenz, that’s Leonie, and the shy one in the corner is Marianne. Raphael and Lysithea are the ones playing games.” He turns to Dimitri. “On an unrelated note, which do you prefer? Italian, Mediterranean, or Chinese food?”

  
“Um… Chinese?” Claude winks at him.

  
“You’ve got good taste.” Then he pats Dimitri’s shoulder. “Make yourself at home, I’ll order the food.” He goes into the other, quieter room and calls the restaurant, silently praying that the others do their part in making his date feel comfortable.

  
By the time he gets back, having ordered enough for ten people (as Raphael always eats enough for two), Dimitri’s sitting straight-backed on the couch, eyes focused on the screen as he fights Lysithea and Raphael. Claude takes a moment just to admire the view before heading over and sitting next to him.

  
Lysithea huffs when Dimitri’s Marth KO’s her Pikachu. “Bah, beginner’s luck,” she tells him. He shrugs.

  
“Probably. I don’t really play games that much.” He then proceeds to meteor smash Raphael’s Donkey Kong off the edge, claiming the victory.

  
Leonie guffaws. “He’s a natural!” She leans over and high-fives him. Claude smiles to himself, pleased. He really didn’t have to worry about anything at all.

  
Then again, that doesn’t mean he can’t show off his skill level. “Alright, kids, hand it over. The master is here,” he says, waggling his eyebrows.

  
“The master, he says,” Lysithea snickers as she hands over the fourth controller. “Bring it on, then!”

  
They play about ten rounds before the food gets there, and of those ten Claude manages to win one (which is pretty much a record for him, honestly). Dimitri wins another three, Lysithea wins four, and Rapahel wins two. There’s too much food for the one delivery guy to carry, so they all head outside to grab it from his car.

  
They spread the takeout boxes out on the table family-style and sit down to eat, putting on an episode of Friends. Dimitri seems to like the cream cheese wontons, taking small, careful bites out of them. Claude makes a plate of stir fry and sits next to him again. Halfway through the meal, he slowly puts his arm around Dimitri, and instead of flinching away like he was expecting, the other boy scoots the tiniest bit closer. He sees Hilda giggling at them from across the room and sticks his tongue out at her.

  
Afterwards, they play a few rounds of Cards Against Humanity. Claude tries to keep it tame in polite company, but really, how is he not supposed to respond to “What brought the orgy to a grinding halt?” with “Child Protective Services?” Dimitri and Raphael seem to just be playing random cards, although the former does get a good one in the form of “I drink to forget ______” and “alcoholism.” But shockingly, Lorenz and Marianne of all people end up tied for first.

  
With the night coming to a close, people start heading back to their bedrooms. Lorenz immediately hogs one of the showers, and Hilda fights off Lysithea for the second. She winks at Claude before shutting the door behind her.

  
“I suppose I should get going, then,” Dimitri says, fiddling with his collar. Claude offers a hand and helps him stand up.

  
“You need a ride?”

  
Dimitri shakes his head. “My dorm is a few blocks away, I’ll just walk.” Claude gives him a look.

  
“It’s dark out. If you’re walking, I’m coming with.” A brief moment of hesitation, then Dimitri nods. Claude goes to grab his coat, then impulsively grabs a second one (one that he thinks will complement Dimitri’s pretty blonde hair perfectly).

  
“I’m bringing Dimitri home, I’ll be back soon!” he calls to the others. Lysithea mutters a quiet “will you really, though” under her breath, which he chooses to ignore. Instead he opens the front door and hands Dimitri the second coat (black with fur around the collar), much to the other’s confusion.

  
“You only have that one thin layer on,” he says. “You’re going to be cold.”

  
“Well, actually… never mind, thank you,“ he cuts himself off and slips on the coat, and Claude was right: it does look good on him. They both head outside, and Claude locks the door behind him.

  
The stars are especially bright, streaked in ribbons across the night sky. A cool breeze rustles through the trees as they walk down the road toward the complex of dorms. There are still a couple of people out: a group of friends with takeout boxes in plastic bags, two women walking their dogs together… he even spots Professor Byleth with a fishing rod and a small bucket of fish. He waves and they wave back.

  
When they arrive at the dorm, Dimitri turns to him shyly, not quite looking directly at him. His face is like porcelain in the moonlight. “I… enjoyed myself today,” he says. “And I’d like to do this again, if you’re willing. Maybe you could come meet some of my friends?”

  
“Sounds like a great idea.” But all thoughts of plans for future dates and weighing the pros and cons of getting involved go right out the window when Dimitri’s beautiful blue eyes glance up to meet his own, and he blurts, “Can I kiss you?”

  
Dimitri’s eyes narrow, and before he can apologize or backpedal the other boy leans forward and cups Claude’s face, pressing their lips together briefly. His bangs tickle Claude’s forehead, and he’s never been more aware of the slight height difference between them. When he withdraws, there’s an almost determined look in his eyes. Then he smiles. It’s the most unguarded Claude’s ever seen him, and he’s instantly dazzled into silence.

  
The hand cupping his face slides its way down to where his shoulder and neck meet, thumb affectionately stroking his skin in a slow, steady rhythm. Dimitri gives a little amused huff through his nose.

  
“Goodnight, Claude,” he murmurs. “Thank you for the date.” His hand lingers slightly before withdrawing, and then he walks up the stairs and disappears into the dorm building. Claude stands there in disbelief, fingers itching to reach up and touch his lips, to make sure this is real.

  
Instead he shakes his head slightly and turns to head back to the apartment with a skip in his step, glowing with enough happiness to rival the moon.

**Author's Note:**

> I really enjoy writing characters as "suave as fuck" only to break down the facade and show their true selves. It was Dimitri's turn to be cool... which means next part is going to have him at max levels of awkwardness. I already have it planned, I can't wait.
> 
> As mentioned before Felix and Sylvain is still on my to-do list. I might also consider doing a Hubert and Ferdinand thing at the cafe because work sitcoms am I right?


End file.
